Production by National Ballet of China

Music by Adolphe Adam

Libretto by Thephile Gautier, Jules- Henri Vernoy deSaint- Georges

Originally Choreographed by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot,Marius Petipa & Sir Anton Dolin

Production Conceived & Dircted by Feng Ying

Executive Director and Chief Répétiteur: Xu Gang

Stage Designed by Gong Xun

Lighting Designed by Liu Zhao

Costume Designed by Yue Songshan

Make-up and Style Designed :Zhu Yan, Xu Bin

Répétiteurs:  Zhang Jian, Wang Qimin, Wang Qi,Wang Hao

World Permiere: June 28,1841, Theater of Royal Academy of Music, Paris

First Presented in China: June 13,1960, TianqiaoTheater, Beijing

Re-staged by NBC: April 3, 2014, Tianqiao Theater,Beijing

Synopsis of Giselle

Act 1

The ballet is set in a Rhine Village. Hans, the village gamekeeper, is desperately in love with Giselle. Counte Albrecht, anobleman, disguises himself as a peasant and hunt in the village. Filled with suspicionand jealousy, Hans becomes enraged when Giselle falls in love with Albrecht.

The hungting party of the Duke comes to the village.Refreshments are served to the hunters, and the Duke's daughter, Bathilde, whogives Giselle a gold necklacce. After the royal party has returned to hunt,Hans emerges from the cottage with a sword, which is the evidence that thesupposed peasant is, in fact, a nobleman.

Hans denounces Albrecht as an imposter, and the claimattested by Bathilde's revealing that he is her fiancé. The shock of learning Albrecht's duplicity is too hideousfor Giselle's frail constitution. Her mind becomes unhinged and she dies of a brokenheart—her love unrequited.

Act 2

The scene is laid in a glade in the forest near Giselle's grave.The Wilis are summoned by their Queen, Myrtha. The Wilis aremaidens whose fiancés have discarded them before their death. Their spirits are forever destined to roam the earth from midnight to dawn, vengefully trapping any male who enters their domain and forcing him to dance to death.

Myrtha discovers Hans in the forest and orders the Wilis to dance around him until he dies from exhaustion.

Albrecht, laden with feelings of guilt and remorse,visits Giselle's grave.He sees a vision of Giselle and follows it into the forest.Myrtha then discovers Albrecht and demands that he should share the same fateas Hans. At that point , Giselle helps him out of death.

The dawn is heralded; the Wilis and their queen lose their power and retreat to their dwelling place. Called by the grave, Giselle returns with the Wilis. Albrecht, who has sought to grasp her in his arms,falls to the ground with sadness forever.